A Gift of Time and Space
by MayMargaret
Summary: When the TARDIS receives a cryptic message, Mia and the Doctor must solve it as they face a foe of the Time Lord long forgotten. Can he prevent the Skasis Paradigm from being solved once again?
1. Chapter 1

"Ah! At last, good old London!" The Doctor greeted the city beyond the blue wooden doors like a welcome friend, his grin stretching from ear to ear, while I stood in dull dread at the prospect.

"The quietest location in the galaxy," I remarked sarcastically, not sure whether I intended him to hear it. Whether he did or not, I never found out, his shoulders remained square and poised for adventure. He seemed to enjoy saving this place as though it were a damsel in distress.

I followed him from the TARDIS as I tugged on my coat, my hair battling the winter winds as it flew about like wild fire around my face. The Doctor stood out a couple of feet away, examining each perspective rapidly while keeping his hands firmly in his pockets as his coat tails flapped away. "Well? Where is it?"

The Doctor came to a halt, and settled into a stance facing me directly. He looked far over my head with a distant gaze. "Ah..."

I followed his line of sight, and landed on the huge building behind, silver and polished windows glistening in the low light. I looked back at the Doctor, and then again to the building. He seemed to be watching it.

"Is this it?"

Quiet footsteps approached, and he was standing right beside me. "Yep."

"How do you know?"

His eyes hovered darkly over the towering structure, brown eyes far away. "I've been here before. Well, that very building in fact. Remember Adipose?"

"The weight loss pill thing?"

He nodded, and began rubbing the back of his neck. "This was headquarters. Mrs Foster, died right there." He pointed to a concrete slab just as a blonde business woman walked over it. I allowed my eyes to trail upwards, all the way up to the top of the building. The mere thought was dizzying.

"The spaceships. The tiny creatures floating up in the beams."

"Children, thousands of them."

"I heard they were made from fat," I recalled in disgust, but I also remembered their tiny plodding bodies as they flocked into the streets in the masses. Children.

"Yep, most of them anyway. Some people died. Born from death. They probably didn't suspect a thing," he said, and his voice trailed away. "A friend of mine, she watched it happen."

"What happened to her?"

Suddenly the melancholy expression was wiped clean, and he swiped my hand in his and we pursued the building with enthusiasm and the promise of adventure. "We can't just wonder in," I warned him, but knowing him, he had his ways.

"Yes we can!"

The doors opened, and my hand fell out of his as he reached into his pocket without stopping, while I blindly followed suit. Two security guards approached, but the Doctor was ready with his wallet and practically shoved it in front of the guards faces. "Health inspectors," he asserted with authority, and we ploughed on, he as though he owned the apparently cursed place.

We passed through some 'STAFF ONLY' doors and descended a stair case, the lights becoming dimmer and less artificial. We began to slow to a normal pace, and the Doctor resumed his scanning.

"Let me see that ID," I requested, and he passed it over automatically. While I wasn't sure what I was expecting, I wasn't expecting what I found.

"It's blank."

"Psychic paper," he informed flippantly, and turned a corner. I looked up when I heard the familiar drone of the sonic screwdriver as he held it before him like a gun.

"You really rely on that thing too much, you know-"

"Shhh!"

Eyes flicking between the blue light and the end of the corridor ahead, his face slowly grew into a faint smile, and he began turning while I watched in awe. "There!"

I turned and faced a new door I hadn't even noticed in the side of the long wall, and the Doctor pushed it open with his free hand. We entered a dimly lit room, although I couldn't see a window, a lamp, any light source at all. Opposite us was a second door.

"Come on," his voice said softly, and he placed the silver object back in his inside pocket. A sense of dread washed over me, but I resisted the urge to grab his hand, such a childish motion in fear. As though in slow motion, his large bony hand lay flat on the door, and I wished I could see his expression. If he looked calm, I had to trust that calm. If he looked scared...I hadn't even witnessed it, and I never wished to.

The door refused to open as pressure was put upon it, and increased. I thought about suggesting it was locked, but I noticed the lack of handle. Perhaps it was just jammed.

"Can't the sonic screwdriver do anything?"

The Doctor began feeling his way around the frame and digging his fingers between it and the door.

"The simplest ingenious object in the galaxy does not require a sonic screwdriver. Besides, it doesn't work with wood." I smirked.

"AND Miss Morton I do not rely on it...too...MUCH!" The door flew open with one strong pull, and light filtered in. But this one was a grey light, much like outdoor. But again, I found no windows, no rows of lights.

What I did see was a humongous room, far too big to fit underground beneath an office block. Even one of this size. The only sound was a quiet, gentle thudding. My eyes landed on desks. Rows and rows of them, going as far back as the eye could see, hundreds of workers sat behind them, eyes down. Each mimicking the other, fingers tapping furiously. From this distance, perhaps 20 feet away from the closest row facing us, I could see a green glow on their faces.

"Doctor?" I whispered, my voice trembling. Not one of them so much as peered up. I looked up to see his face, to evaluate the situation, but it was cold. Icey, solid, set, as a cold mask. Something I had never seen. I probably would have preferred anger, or even fear, but not this.

"Doctor? What is it?"

His large brown eyes were low, slow moving and perceptive, as they made their way to his left, and landed on a fixed point. I turned my head to the wall behind, huge and grey and imposing, flawless save for a small square of glass overlooking the work force. A black figure stood, and, while I could see no features on the silhouette, something felt wrong about it. Not quite human. Not even close. Something seemed to be protruding from its back.

"What...is that...thing?" I asked, glancing at the workers for just a second, before snapping my eyes back to the window. It was gone.

"Ah, a familiar face," a pompous, smooth voice droned. "At last, a reunion."


	2. Chapter 2

"Finch," The Doctor observed gravely. The suited man, if you could call him that, smiled graciously with leathery lips. "Im flattered my name is still in your memory. And pray, introduce me to your pretty...pale friend." He extended his hand, with long, clawed fingers a colour no human fingers should be. I stared at it blankly, and raised my eyes to his to assess any possible danger. His light blue orbs glistened, but that wasn't what caught my eye. Appendages protruded from his back, like small wings, but jagged and darkened at the edges. Like they'd been burnt. From then, anything that was remotely human about him was tainted and beyond recognisable.

"Sorry, germaphobic, don't take offence."

His composure faltered somewhat, and stared down at his hand with something like disgust. "I do not blame you." I felt a stab of guilt, surprising and expectant at once.

"Its Mia, by the w-"

Now! Where are my manners," he expressed smoothly, placing his hands together, "Doctor. We have so much to discuss. Come."

Before we could refuse, the man, Finch, turned quick on his heals, and I gained a better view of the grotesque things poking out through slits made in his expensive striped jacket. They seemed to be sewn tightly around them.

"You're doing well," The Doctor whispered as we trailed behind, but I had no doubt Finch heard with bat like senses. His ear twitched ever so slightly while I pinned my eyes to the back of his head. I forgot the Doctor had said anything for a moment. When I realised, I just turned and gave him my most confident smile, as though I were not absolutely terrified of this genteel alien we were following to who knew where.

We halted, and again my eyes landed on a door I never noticed before, only coming into view as Finch pressed it open with little force. We came to a stair case, only visible while the door, ajar, shone light from the corridor. We were plunged into pitch black, and I clung on to the man I trusted, perhaps foolishly, with my life as we climbed.

"Now then," Finch began as he pushed yet another door open, and we came to a plain office, windows blackened with paint and a single lamp in the corner. There was only a desk, 2 chairs, and a laptop atop it in the centre of the room. "Please," he motioned to the chairs, and the Doctor sat, and I followed suite. I suddenly felt like I was in some sort of business meeting as Finch began pacing gracefully on the solid oak flooring.

"Can I get you both something? I know finding your way around this building is awfully exhausting."

The Doctor, uncharacteristically silent, pulled a thoughtful face. "Nah. Mia?"

I shook my head. The Doctor turned back to Finch and grinned. "Cheap round. Good. Now get to the point, we're busy people."

"Aha yes, you are, very much so, Doctor. Daleks, Cybermen, Weeping Angels, the Racnoss, no doubt this very building in fact stirs some memories."

"You've been keeping watch, I see."

Finch let out a quiet chuckle, as though he had been caught out. "I cannot help but follow the adventures of the last Time Lord. But, pray, i'm curious, how are your friends? Are they all well? Rose, how is dear Rose?"

I turned to the Doctor, alarmed by how Finch had spoken of this Rose. The Doctor seemed just the same. "She's fine."

"And Martha? Donna?"

"All absolutely fine."

Finch nodded thoughtfully as he paced slowly. "And you're new...friend. Absolutely aware of what happens to your companions? After all, dear Rose is trapped, Martha a soldier, and...Donna? Does she even know your name?"

I saw what Finch was doing, and an anger piped up inside me as I glanced fleetingly at the Doctor's stone solid face. In the month I'd been with him, he'd explained about his companions, and I understood the lonely time lord. He was old, centuries old, and despite his youthfully handsome appearance, it would be vain to think I was the first.

"Mr Finch, you said you had much to discuss with the Doctor. Please, as a human I am not as immune to time as he is." The words flew out before I had chance to stop myself.

Finch's lips curved into a small grin just showing his small yellowing teeth. He halted in his tracks and glared my way. "Brave child. You chose well, Doctor."

"She has a point, Finch. Get on with it."

"A-ha, if we could just retreat a moment. I am simply curious that this happy coincidence has occurred. You must have your reasons for being here, and yet you appeared... surprised."

"We received the message. We traced the location to this building, to this warehouse, as its origin."

"And what message might this be?"

I glanced to the Doctor, for any certainty that this was the sender. I had to admit, it didn't make sense for him to send it and act ignorant. He simply sat back in his chair, his hands webbed together on his stomach.

"My mistake."

I frowned, but felt a great relief, as though something unrealised was safely unnoticed by Finch. If he hadn't sent it, someone else must have. I recalled the message, the moment it appeared on the screen. 1/1/1. But, if he had accomplices...

Finch, meanwhile, watched us as though pure fascination held his feet in place. A sly smile tugged at one corner of his mouth. "You never strike me as one for simple mistakes, Doctor. But no bother, we have other business to which to attend."

His eyes peered up to check we were listening, and began pacing again with one carefully controlled polished shoe forward. "Good. Now then, back to business. I must say, I have carefully rehearsed this conversation many a time in this room while alone. As you may have guessed, I live a solitary existence-"

"Yeah-...sorry about that."

"Oh not at all, Doctor. Oh! The deaths of my kin were mere disturbances. In fact, they rather slowed me down. They were considerably younger than myself, more inexperienced. Waited for orders, no initiative to speak of. But, be that as it may, they were of my kind. I suspect you and I are alike in that aspect, Doctor. The last of our race."

The man in question remained silent, and I stared. Had I just heard right? I never really suspected he was the last of his race full stop, it never dawned on me.

"Its happened to hundreds of races, and it'll happen to more."

"But wouldn't you like to change that?" Finch questioned, almost passionately. I switched my eyes between the two men as though they were the hero and pantomime villain, arch enemies in comic books, or simply two people linked only by one thing.

The last of their kinds.

"Fixed points in time, Finch. I have more experience with those than anyone."

"And you've bent the rules somewhat."

"Only slightly, and that was a push. Contrary to what you might believe, having time and space at your finger tips doesn't grant you the power to twist it beyond recognition. Just one little thing...BOOM! This room doesn't exist, I'm on a different planet and she never met this handsome devil. SO, I am just wondering, since you're beyond clever and mad enough to have considered this possibility, why you would want to burden yourself with that power."

"You speak of power as though it were a curse, not a gift."

"Situations change the nature of power."

Finch nodded appreciatively. "True words. And this is a desperate one. I gather you have realised the aim of my work force."

"Well, throw green screens, hypnosis and a Krillitane in a barrel and what do you get?"

"The solved Skasis Paradigm. It's only a matter of time."

"What's that?" I asked, my voice ringing out with inexperience and confusion. I had a pretty good idea after following the conversation, but, even sitting here and witnessing it, I couldn't comprehend that it could be true.

The two men exchanged glances, but I didn't give them a chance to answer.

"You're saying that the control of time and space can be had with one puzzle?"

"You have chosen very well Doctor, I commend you. Curious human, fast mind, I could use her."

"Don't be getting ideas, Finch."

The man sniggered, eyes glistening with dark amusement. "So protective of your companions, Doctor. I almost forgot to, what do they say, 'name the price'? Yes, that's it. So juvenile."

"Name it," The Doctor ordered sternly. This was truly serious business, and I braced myself.

"Rather fair, you might agree. I solve the Skasis Paradigm, with full control of the universe and time surrounding it. Or...the more favourable for you, and your precious humans, is the alternative."

"Which is?"

"Which, dear Mia, is my work force. There are exactly 325 working down there, humanity given up in exchange for extreme intellect almost on par with my own. I have, during my solitude, created a way, using extracts of my own DNA, of converting these humans into my own kind. We will then, my relatives and I, find a new planet to occupy. The Krillitanes will have a chance to _be_ again. I have heard much of the famous Doctor, but not of him helping save a race from total extinction. One that has, in respect, already been annihilated."

The last few words rang out in the silence, entwining and gradually unravelling with strands of thought, freezing me in place. I suddenly felt very, very small, in a room with two aliens from far off galaxies. The mere thought was beyond comprehensible. In that moment, I questioned whether i'd made the right decision a month ago. Eyes darting around, avoiding keen eyes, they chose to focus again on the Doctor, the man Finch had chosen to make the choice. I expected him to appear as a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders, but instead, his long legs stretched out before him and he stood casually.

"How does this _convertion _work?"

Finch lit up instantly, and took the Doctor's seat in one swift movement. "I'm so glad you asked Doctor."

With a few taps on the keyboard, surprisingly slow, the laptop was turned away from me so only the Doctor could see. His face barely faltered from disinterest as lights flashed of all colours in his large chocolate eyes.

"Well? What is it?"

It was the Doctor who spoke up, and Finch sat back to watch. I noticed, almost at once, he wasn't as excitable as usual when discussing complex science topics to my human brain.

"Imagine that, say, if a human cell is exposed to a carcinogen, mutations occur within the cell. This is basically what is happening here, apparently. So you're saying, Finch, somewhere in this building is a device, and it'll detonate-sorry, expose them, to a radiation."

"A radiation that shall rewrite their cellular structure to match the Krillitane perfectly. Call it my plan B, I thought of it back before I was headmaster at that grotesque school. And, the beauty of this kind is that it shall not penetrate beyond these four walls. Only those and I shall be exposed, and it shall only target the humans within these walls. Everyone else shall be as human as you like them."

"Did they know what they were signing up for?" I asked doubtfully, sickened by how he was convincing even me that he had the best intentions. Somehow, as though I could read him, I knew there was something he was avoiding, and the Doctor knew too.

"Of course, dear Mia. Ethics are my utmost priority. A contract was signed by each member before they sat at the computer."

I nodded. "Can we see it?"

He let out a short snigger that crinkled his long nose, as though he were an off-put gargoyle. When they flickered back up, there was nothing but threat and warning in them. "Confidentiality, I'm afraid."

"And yet you're placing a decision of this nature into the hands of an outsider. If that were me, I'd want to know what I was getting in to."

The man in question watching with large, probing eyes, and flicked them towards me for just a second, full of pride before they winked mischievously. That spurred me on.

"You wouldn't want there to be a catch, or a gap you failed to cover. I'm sure no sane, _fully conscious _person, let alone 325 of them, would sign their humanity away with the click of a pen. I'm not even sure they would in exchange for the control of the universe. I know I wouldn't, because you know, don't you? I think that, given the opportunity, you would change yourself. Into something like me. Or them. Anything that couldn't possibly harness that power, and has the ability to plough on through life regardless."

I couldn't escape the pale blue hatred in those orbs, staring up with an anger so old, and such bitter truth. It almost hurt just to stare him out.

"You've been trapped like this. As a hybrid. One that can only stand to be around its own kind. But when they change, into those things, you won't be one of those either, will you?"

"You can't change back. The curse of the Krillitane. Once the wings are mutilated, in such a way as yours, especially burnt...you're trapped at the half way point. And sunlight can't touch a krillitane unless it's in it's fully human form. So where does that leave you in this world..." His voice trailed off as he crouched next to Finch, who was still staring me out with white hot rage. His hands were beginning to shake in his lap. The Doctor examined his face as though it were a scientific anomaly.

Suddenly, he stood up, shoved his hands in his pockets, and pulled his thoughtful face. "See, theres something i'm still missing here. Why would you, Mr Finch, Mr Self-Absorbed Power of Time etc want to change a load of humans when he can't join them in his current form? _And _when does this thing go off? I don't see it. It's not random because you need me to make the decision...or do you?"

He came back to crouching next to him again. "Does my word matter? I know im only a _'Time Lord' _but really, is it that import...Oh." Realisation dawned on his freckled face. "Oh...i'm not integral at all, am I? But I am needed."

"You think I would leave such a decision in the hands of the ever so ethical Doctor? He who thinks he can crawl himself and his companions out of anything?" Finch snarls, practically spat his words, all genteel qualities stripped from him, his eyes becoming ever more savage as they remained locked on me. "You conceided for a second that the imbecile who very nearly committed genocide of the krillitanes could be forgiven so easily, and that I wouldn't want my revenge? You're getting old, Doctor," he spat spitefully, "and it's about time you watched as the power so tragically _flung _at you is taken by someone who would use it, who would appreciate it."

He pushed a button on the keyboard with so much force he nearly smashed it, and within seconds the door opened, revealing two men in overalls. Both appeared large enough to lift a car between them, with eyes so distant they probably wouldn't care it they dropped it on us.

"Take them to the cage."


	3. Chapter 3

The door slammed behind us with a resounding _bang _that echoed throughout the dark room. In reality, the cage was just an alcove at the back of the warehouse, with two opposing benches and a window at the top of the door. The only light that filtered in was the impossible light from the work floor.

The square beam of light flickered, and was obstructed by Finch's sihloette. His shadowed, leathery face grimaced coldly. "Just in time, Doctor. Just in time to witness your genocide...reversed."

"Finch, you can't," The Doctor pleaded, his fingers trying the door handle. Finch smiled. "I would have thought you regretful of such a crime; it's not often you see them undone."

"You're taking innocent humans! What about their lives, eh?!"

Finch gave a lingering look from his stark-blue eyes, as though waiting for it to click. Then his footsteps clicked slowly, and he was gone. The only thing in the way of the light now was the brown spikey head of the Doctor, watching.

Silence fell as the footsteps died away, and in a flash the Doctor was rummaging in his pocket and tried the lock with the sonic screwdriver. The long drone of the now familiar buzz was a disappointing reminder that Finch was perhaps on step ahead.

"Wood! It's embarrassing, stupid thing!"

I smiled a little. "Shhh, it's sensitive," I echoed, and he turned and looked at me. His eyes were a battle between amusement and keeping up that determined, angry outburst. I beckoned for him to sit, and he managed to fit his long legs between me and the bench. There was no way he could stretch out in here.

"Now, we have time to think about what we're going to do."

He crossed his arms, and sent me a dark look. He shook his head curtly. I tightened my eyes in question.

"That code," he began, almost clicking the end of the word, "is a countdown. 1/1/1."

I nodded. "Yes? That could mean 1 year, 1 month, 1 day."

He shook his head again. "I reckon we got here at the right time. Just in time."

I looked away into a random stop and thought over his words. I tried different amounts of time in my head, and compared them to how much time we'd actually been in the building. From when we landed, from when we received the message in the first place. I checked my watch, and frowned.

"It's stopped."

He pulled out a watch I'd never seen him wear, and a similar expression painted itself on his face. "Someone doesn't want us to know the time."

I leaned my head back on the wall. It hadn't been an hour yet, half an hour at most. But i'd been feeling so disoriented since arriving, I wasn't so sure. I was banking on a Time Lord to be tuned in to all the clocks in the world at that moment.

"Do you think Finch sent that message?"

I looked back to the Doctor, who was watching me absently. He looked a bit dazed.

Suddenly he snapped out of it, and brushed his hair back with both hands, widening his eyes as though tired. "I doubt it, he didn't know what we were on about. I don't know who sent it."

I suddenly thought of my favourite time travel film, and remembered how Bill and Ted told themselves they were going to place an object somewhere, and it would appear there straight away, an action by their future selves.

"Maybe we sent it to ourselves."

He had no time to reply, and I had no time to laugh, or even comprehend another thought. The room was a bright white, and he flew over to hide me in his arms. "Don't look!"

The light was so bright it was loud, invading each sense with such intensity I couldn't escape. But I followed suit. I clenched my eyes shut and huddled in his chest, his back to the window and his cheek pressing against the side of my head.

The moment lasted longer than it felt, and it was gone in a literal flash.

Silence seemed to fall with a crash that made my ears ring. I almost missed his voice ask it I was alright.

Before I had chance to breathe he was at the door, trying the lock again. Nothing worked. I walked up to it, and looked at the pane of glass. It was segmented and smashed into hundreds of tiny suspended crystals. Slowly, I put a finger to the door, and it swung open.

"The light must have burned the lock to ash or something," I whispered. He packed the screwdriver away gently, as though feeling guilty for early comments. Together, we scanned the room, deathly silent.

Instead of people sat at the desks, statues replaced them, covered in a film that made them appear a washed out colour, thick and shiny and misty. The Doctor approached on, and stroked a finger across it's head.

"Some kind of...placenta? Whatever it is..."

He poked it, and he didn't give. He tried the screwdriver, and nothing happened. He grabbed a chair, and slammed it into the solid glass-like cocoon. It came out the other side with the legs bent.

"...it's indestructible," I finished. I looked up instinctively to the upper lone window, and he was there. Hands tied behind his back in pride, now doubt. Right then, I understood the hostility. I hated him, too.

"He can't do this," I breathed helplessly, keeping my eyes on the figure. Despite not being able to see his eyes, I felt them on me, staring me out, connecting with my unwavering ones. "Taking innocent lives and changing them...changing their _humanity..._literally."

"We need to get to the Shadow Proclemation. This is...against nature," he ranted, grimacing at the pods around him. His movements were fast and sharp and angered as he made his way around the check a couple more, and then as he ran to the door. I followed, half walking, half jogging. I was too weary to shout in the ironic graveyard type place.

"What is that? Space police?"

He tried the door, which was lacking a handle, and nothing sounded. He pushed it, just I did with the door to the alcove, to test if the lock had disintegrated, but it was a pull door anyway. I noticed how incredibly snug the door looked in the frame, and walked over to see if my thinner fingers would work into the gap. No such luck.

The Doctor took a large step back, and brushed his hands through his hair again, his eyes wide in frustration. "Brilliant," he forced out, and I began to scan the room. I didn't suppose anything thinner than a nail could squeeze in and be of any use, but I felt the need to keep myself busy. I was looking for a full 10 minutes.

Finally, I came to a stop, and attempted to calm myself, to supress the need to panic. I couldn't let him see me like that. Even if he did seem to occupied with...what ever he was doing. I looked around, and found him half way up the wall, a few meters across from the door.

"Hey! Spiderman!"

He turned his head, the screwdriver gripped between his teeth while his hands gripped the rungs of the near invisible ladder. "Yeah?!" he shouted passed the object.

I shook my head and let out a nervous laugh, slowing my pulse as the alien watched me. "Nothing, was going to say, I didn't know you could climb flat walls."

He didn't answer, and resumed climbing as I made my way over.

"What you found?"

"I think...I found Mr Finch's answer to life," he mused, reaching his long arm to grapple the small silver ball in the corner. It wouldn't reach. Then he did something that made my pulse jolt and freeze.

Wrapping a leg around one of the rungs, he let go of the ladder and reached with both hands.

I held my breath, but he caught it. It didn't seem to be attached by anything.

He placed a grip back on the ladder, and I let out a much needed exhalation. "Catch," he said, and threw the small object as he climbed back down.

"What is it?"

We were back in the alcove, sat opposite each other as he examined the silver ball in his hands from behind his glasses. The screwdriver was buzzing away, and I thought about how he understood the information feeding from the two devices. The smooth surface gave nothing away.

"I'm not quite sure. It's alien technology, but the materials used are from earth, so it's make shift. Brilliant, genius in fact. Capable of changing the DNA of any living thing...into any living thing...with just a bit of scrap metal and blood..."

"You sound like you admire it...he didn't strike me as so intelligent, really."

He peered up at me, his brown eyes sharp with question. "What makes you say that?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure...he doesn't...strike one...as having the ability...to be accredited with so much...imagination."

...

The Doctor's hearts quickened pace. He placed the object beside him with little care as to the force he used and placed both hands around Mia's face. "Mia, Mia listen to me. If you can hear me, tell me-"

"She can't hear you, Doctor," the distant voice sang slowly, lips barely moving as the ghost of Mia's voice haunted him with his name. "I daresay the poor child is tired, relieved for the break of her consciousness...The Doctor has placed one in rather a situation, hasn't one, Doctor?" The stretched eyes danced over his face, the only part of the body showing any signed of movement. The edges were turning red at the strain. "One could save her, Doctor...is that not what you most desire? Her safety? Ah, but you are so _keen _to keep her by your side...travelling the stars...Do you care so much, Doctor? For her safety? It can be done."

The Doctor felt his own hands shaking, sweating against the skin of his companion. He did want her to be safe. As safe as safe could be...if it meant not losing her. His eyes stung at the prospect.

"Please, just let her go."

The corners of her mouth twitched, the fastest movement the entity was probably capable of. "Begging, Doctor...so uncharacteristic. But one does not desire to let her go...she is too...extraordinary...a mind."

"Yes, yes she is, and you're killing her. You're burning that brain up with your energy, and a human cannot take so much."

The eyes widened, impossibly, marginally. "N...no. One cant. One refuses."

"That mind...the mind you have fallen to...it's not going to be around much longer...not with you there...let it go."

A tear escaped the unnaturally wide green eye, and the Doctor wiped it away with his thumb, pity swelling in his throat. "You have to."

"It hurts, Doctor," a weak voice whispered. The eyes blinked, as though in slow motion. When they opened, they were almost back to normal size. "My eyes..."

The Doctor ignored her last tears and took her in his arms, whispering in her ear that it would be ok. He knew he would do anything to save her, help her, and he told her that. She nodded, and he felt her eyelashes blink rapidly, a sure sign that she was back.

What he couldn't tell her was that the entity would be back. That it wouldn't give up on her. Neither it, or he, would.

Such an important human, it seemed.


End file.
